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Rufus E. Brummagem
c1870's
RUFUS ELIXIR BRUMMAGEM
born: July 4, 1848 in Jefferson County, Missouri
A notorious rogue, prevaricator, outlaw, cutthroat,
highwayman,
pirate, murderer and a spurious, pinchbeck, fake!
His crimes were legendary and his associates were as well.
He was reported to have married:
6 women in his short 32 years of life,
but no record of
these marriages exist and no church records were kept as he never
set foot in such buildings.
Besides his "wives" seemed to all be
sporting women from various towns and various establishments
with
no real records of any of them surviving.
Below is a few of his letters to his dying mother, which he wrote during
his two month trial ordeal and prior to his hanging,
which tell of his "wives" in some form or another.
With some letters from his "wives" or family.
August 10,1866
Dearest husband:
I am sorry that you are angry with me. I must have been the only
person that believed that you did not cheat during the card game.
Maybe it was not a wise idea to shoot the accusing Gentleman.
I am sure if the Sheriff had just given me one more opportunity,
I surely would have been able to persuede him that it was all an accident.
Rufus, please believe that I spent only three days with the Sheriff.
The girls send their regards. Don't do nothin foolish!
Your wife
Mattie
I dont like bean called easy, nether!!
"dear mah
"I take pen in hand for the last time to let you know
that all the false claims they have brot agin me ain't true and fer
yew to not fret none. I only kilt folk I didn't know and only if they
were pesterin me some. If I kilt anyone I knew I soon forgot 'em. for
I know'd those I kilt were none of my frinds nohow. Yew know me mah,
I'd never hurt a flea, if I like him. I like to see you
one more time but knows that it would be too hard on yew.
yew bein sik and all. they say I harmed a young lady & did
unspeakible thangs to her & how purdy she was & vidal & how I stopped
her chances of ever havin a family & lovd ones.
whal I knowd this she weren't all that young & purdy atall & from
what I seen of her family they never lovd her none and I was glad
to have to kilt them to. fact be, she wood have thank me for the murders.
I be writen more later. Yer lovin son Rufus."
"Dear Rufus
"It has been a long while since we have set eyes on each other
and I have read of all the things the town you now live in has said about
you and I can't believe a word of it. You were always good to me and
never showed any unseemly ways the whole year we lived together
in Kansas City. I know your mother is heart broken that people would
tell such lies about you. I will try and make it down to you with some
things I think you might need. It may be difficult as the money is hard
to get and my work keeps me in doors all night and I barely get
enough sleep during the day. I have enclosed my latest
image on a tin. Know that my prayers
are with you and that this wrong will be corrected.
"Your loving Sis"
He was taken up the thirteen steps of the public hanging platform
and when someone asked him if he had any last words he spat at the
preacher and yelled a profanity to the gathering crowd that caused
the women present to swoon and the men to turn bright red.
It was reported that a few females in the crowd laughed at his
remarks and their laughter grew louder due to the subsequent
reaction to his words. This only added to his discomfort as
the hangman botched the job and placed the rope in the
wrong position causing him to strangle for 20 minutes due
to his slight build. It took a
Captain Lugner Unecht Falschung
, from the crowd of on
lookers to gather the courage to walk up to Rufus and place
a round hole in his temple, after three tries, with a
small pocket pistol.
Thus ended the life of Missouri's lesser known outlaw, July 4, 1880.
